Did we ever learn who the One-Page Ally was?

[Goosefarble]

Apologies if there's still a dedicated thread for this somewhere - I did look, but I could only find the one that last updated in 2021 and I don't wanna do thread necromancy. Feel free to lock if there's somewhere else I should be posting this.

For those not in the know, in the final page of author commentary at the end of Utterly Dwarfed, Rich wrote the following:


What, you still want a hint of something specific yet to come? Something you’re not expecting? OK, how about this: Someone who has appeared in exactly one (1) page of the story so far (including all the prequel stories) will become an important ally in the first half of the next book.
Good luck figuring that one out.

I was just wondering, do we know who that is yet? At the time of writing, my money was on this bugbear shaman with the spikes on his mask in Comic #1036 (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1036.html), but he's only appeared once since that point and still hasn't had any lines. My other thought was that it was Serini herself, given that she'd "appeared" in the diary in Comic #0196 (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0196.html), but I was apparently labouring under the misapprehension that Rich said crayon comics didn't count, which I now can't find a source for and I think I just made it up. If that's the case, Serini's appeared in a bunch of others, including in Start of Darkness.

On the other thread, there was a lot of speculation that it was Sunny, because they had appeared in the final comic of Book 6 (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1189.html), but like, come on. It can't be them, right? That wouldn't be much of a mystery that we'd need "good luck figuring out". They don't even appear in the page they're in! They're invisible!

Anyway, we're almost 100 pages into the new book and I'm still not 100% sure who it could be, so far. Unless the rumours were right and Sunny is the beholder appearing in Comic #32 (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0032.html) in a one-panel gag. But... again. Come on.

[Peelee]

I was just wondering, do we know who that is yet? At the time of writing, my money was on this bugbear shaman with the spikes on his mask in Comic #1036 (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1036.html), but he's only appeared once since that point and still hasn't had any lines. My other thought was that it was Serini herself, given that she'd "appeared" in the diary in Comic #0196 (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0196.html), but I was apparently labouring under the misapprehension that Rich said crayon comics didn't count, which I now can't find a source for and I think I just made it up. If that's the case, Serini's appeared in a bunch of others, including in Start of Darkness.

[snip]

Unless the rumours were right and Sunny is the beholder appearing in Comic #32 (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0032.html) in a one-panel gag. But... again. Come on.
I'll take that bet (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1270.html). :smallamused:

[Goosefarble]

I'll take that bet (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1270.html). :smallamused:

God dammit I can't believe I missed the green floor. I reserve the right to be mad about this! They didn't even have an orange speech bubble at the time!

But ah, mystery solved I guess. Rich pulled a sneaky one there.

[Errorname]

Specifying important ally in the first half of the book feels significant.

[abadguy]

The dwarf cousin with the lightsaber who got plane shifted?

[Precure]

Does that mean we're still within the first half of the book, considering Sunny is still alive?

[Metastachydium]

Does that mean we're still within the first half of the book, considering Sunny is still alive?

Whoever said they'll die? Sunny can end up absent, incapacitated, irrelevant due to some countermeasure or (technically; this is not going to happen) they could stop being an ally.

[KorvinStarmast]

Whoever said they'll die? Sunny can end up absent, incapacitated, irrelevant due to some countermeasure or (technically; this is not going to happen) they could stop being an ally. Sunny could also end up dead: as many persons in OotS world have discovered, fighting Xykon can get one killed. (But TBH, I think it's more likely that Serini dies, not Sunny).

[Sir_Norbert]

The wording was "Someone ... will become an important ally in the first half of the next book".

Become, not be; and in, not for.

So all that says is that #1256 (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1256.html), the 67th strip of book 7, is within the first half. It doesn't convey any information at all about whether or not Sunny will continue to be an ally into the second half or even all the way to the end.

[Precure]

Whoever said they'll die? Sunny can end up absent, incapacitated, irrelevant due to some countermeasure or (technically; this is not going to happen) they could stop being an ally.

Well, lately there is talk about Rich focusing on child endargement as a theme, which might foreshadowing something. But Sir Norbert is right.

[Metastachydium]

Well, lately there is talk about Rich focusing on child endargement as a theme

Huh? Where? One of the discussion threads I sat out?

[Tubercular Ox]

Huh? Where? One of the discussion threads I sat out?


Between Serini (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1283.html), Roy (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1274.html), Haley (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0475.html), maybe Elan (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0914.html), V's most pivotal moment, Mr. Scruffy, and Kudzu, Rich just keeps lining up characters against child endangerment. Which isn't exactly a difficult position to hold, but I'm predicting a child gets endangered before the end and people stop everything to confront it.


This feels like the minimum necessary to quote. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.

[Metastachydium]

This feels like the minimum necessary to quote. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.

I'm not really convinced that's really a theme or anything, but otherwise I'm quite firmly whatever on it. I just missed out on that line of discussion pretty much entirely is all.

[gbaji]

I'm not really convinced that's really a theme or anything, but otherwise I'm quite firmly whatever on it. I just missed out on that line of discussion pretty much entirely is all.

Yeah. I'm not sure it's what I would call a theme either. Just an acknowledgement that children do exist, and that the characters in the story are aware that children do exist, and that they tend to not want to intentionally cause them harm (or allow harm to come to them). I haven't noticed any greater focus on this in this story than any other story to be honest (again, where children actually exist or are mentioned at all).

I believe about the only thing Rich has said on the topic is that he's not going to write a story where the solution to a problem is to sacrifice/kill a child. And really, he's kinda taken that position regarding anyone, not just children (see Roy's reaction to Eugene suggesting that the Dwarves all just pick a fight and die). That does not mean to say that childrenn may not be put in danger as a natural consequence of various plot actions, and the characters will react to that appropriately.

So yeah. Assuming we're directly speaking about Sunny, then no, I don't think at any point the "plan to defeat TE" will involve requiring Sunny to do something that will almost certainly result in his death. But, as I pointed out above, I don't think any plan will be acceptable to the Order (and Roy specifically) if any part of it involves "characterA will sacrifice themselves so the rest can win/survive". If there is any sacrifice involved, it will be decided by the character themself, and engaged upon by said character (quite likely against the objections of the rest of the Order), and not be a "plan", but something that becomes necessary due to changing and unpredictable events. And yeah. It's not going to be Sunny doing it. It'll be one of the paladins maybe, or Serini maybe, or Belkar (almost certainly at some point given his development).

[lio45]

The wording was "Someone ... will become an important ally in the first half of the next book".

Become, not be; and in, not for.

So all that says is that #1256 (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1256.html), the 67th strip of book 7, is within the first half. It doesn't convey any information at all about whether or not Sunny will continue to be an ally into the second half or even all the way to the end.Disagree, the fact that the exact words are "an important ally" (instead of simply "an ally") does convey undeniable information about the fact that that ally won't be an irrelevant/fleeting ally.

[gbaji]

Disagree, the fact that the exact words are "an important ally" (instead of simply "an ally") does convey undeniable information about the fact that that ally won't be an irrelevant/fleeting ally.

Yup. And the whole "AMF gaze" thing (and its obvious tactical benefits against TE) seems to point directly to the "importance" of this ally.

[137beth]

God dammit I can't believe I missed the green floor. I reserve the right to be mad about this! They didn't even have an orange speech bubble at the time!

But ah, mystery solved I guess. Rich pulled a sneaky one there.

Mystery Solved? Is this a crossover with Gunnerkrigg Court?

[Mad Humanist]

The dwarf cousin with the lightsaber who got plane shifted?

I do hope Rich has not forgotten about him. That would be really sad.

[Kish]

Given what was established about him and the situation and particularly Minrah's explicit statement of intention, if Rich never sees fit to mention him again (which he very well may not, considering what a minor character he is), I'll classify that as "rescued off-panel," not "left to his fate."

[137beth]

The dwarf cousin with the lightsaber who got plane shifted?

They appeared (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1163.html) in more (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1166.html) than one page (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1167.html), though.

[Mad Humanist]

Given what was established about him and the situation and particularly Minrah's explicit statement of intention, if Rich never sees fit to mention him again (which he very well may not, considering what a minor character he is), I'll classify that as "rescued off-panel," not "left to his fate."

Well maybe. But I want at least a panel if not a page devoted to his rescue.

[DavidBV]

My other thought was that it was Serini herself, given that she'd "appeared" in the diary in Comic #0196 (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0196.html), but I was apparently labouring under the misapprehension that Rich said crayon comics didn't count, which I now can't find a source for and I think I just made it up. If that's the case, Serini's appeared in a bunch of others, including in Start of Darkness.

If I had to bet money on this, I'd go with Serini and crayons not counting. She's the only one that could qualify as important ally whose allegiance can bring some element of surprise (per rich "something you are not expecting", so it must have some shock factor). It's true we're still in the first half of the book (probably!), but it doesn't look like we're too far away from reaching the middle, and I can't see what other important ally they may gain shortly. Party is already extended by two paladins, Serini, Sunny and all the monsters, so it's doubtful they'll get even more people joining in!

[Precure]

If I had to bet money on this, I'd go with Serini and crayons not counting. She's the only one that could qualify as important ally whose allegiance can bring some element of surprise (per rich "something you are not expecting", so it must have some shock factor). It's true we're still in the first half of the book (probably!), but it doesn't look like we're too far away from reaching the middle, and I can't see what other important ally they may gain shortly. Party is already extended by two paladins, Serini, Sunny and all the monsters, so it's doubtful they'll get even more people joining in!

You count a drawing on diary as an appearance, yet discount crayon panels?

[DavidBV]

You count a drawing on diary as an appearance, yet discount crayon panels?

Filmsy, I know. Still sounds better to me than alternatives so far.

[Ruck]

Filmsy, I know. Still sounds better to me than alternatives so far.

It's Sunny. I don't know why there's still dispute about this.

Rich never said anything about "crayon pages don't count," and certainly not for the purpose of his statement this thread is based on. The closest thing he ever said was that panels in crayon reflect someone telling a story about the past and thus may not be exactly how events happened; that has nothing to do with his statement on the important ally.

I also don't know why Serini allying with the Order would count as "something you're not expecting."

[Peelee]

What clinches it for me is the Giant specifically wrote a panel confirming Sunny was the eye tyrant the Order encountered in the Dungeon of Dorukan.

[Goosefarble]

Rich never said anything about "crayon pages don't count," and certainly not for the purpose of his statement this thread his based on. The closest thing he ever said was that panels in crayon reflect someone telling a story about the past and thus may not be exactly how events happened; that has nothing to do with his statement on the important ally.

Yeah, I genuinely have no idea why I thought he'd said that, I went back and looked when I wrote my initial post and was shocked to find he didn't say it. No idea where it came from, hope I haven't mind poisoned anyone else by bringing this idea into the community

[Ruck]

What clinches it for me is the Giant specifically wrote a panel confirming Sunny was the eye tyrant the Order encountered in the Dungeon of Dorukan.

That too.


Yeah, I genuinely have no idea why I thought he'd said that, I went back and looked when I wrote my initial post and was shocked to find he didn't say it. No idea where it came from, hope I haven't mind poisoned anyone else by bringing this idea into the community

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Half-remembered and misremembered quotes are practically a tradition around here. (Which is why the index thread and the magic banana are so handy.)

[Throknor]

Half-remembered and misremembered quotes are practically a tradition around here. (Which is why the index thread and the magic banana are so handy.)

I predict someone will suggest that as a thread title someday...

[Peelee]

Doubt it. Mostly because we dont know if thr bana is magic or supernatural or extraordinary.

[Ruck]

Doubt it. Mostly because we dont know if thr bana is magic or supernatural or extraordinary.

I'd probably classify the Hulk's mutant DNA as extraordinary for those purposes, but questions of Eric Bana aside, the first part of the comment is the snappy part anyway. (And the rest is probably too long to fit into a title.)

[DavidBV]

What clinches it for me is the Giant specifically wrote a panel confirming Sunny was the eye tyrant the Order encountered in the Dungeon of Dorukan.

Oh, did he? then I change my stance, it must be Sunny.

[Ruck]

Oh, did he? then I change my stance, it must be Sunny.

That's where they are in the second-to-last panel of #1270.

[Peelee]

Handy link for easy access!

I'll take that bet (https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1270.html). :smallamused: